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After a grueling snow season, the most important thing to do is plan ahead for equipment needs for the following season, says Jason Sloat, vice president of assets and risk at Christy Webber & Company in Chicago. Christy Webber is responsible for snow removal at high-profile properties such as Millennium Park and Soldier Field, as well as commercial and residential properties around the city.
Since Christy Webber needs specific configurations for their trucks, most of their orders are custom, meaning they can’t be purchased off the showroom floor. The lead time is usually four to six months, Sloat says. “If you anticipate needing new plow trucks, you cannot wait until the fall to make those order if you want the trucks to be set up to your specifications,” he says. “Otherwise you’re going to be stuck taking what’s available.”
At the end of the season, Christy Webber & Company checks in with all of the operators and supervisors to get their feedback. They usually get great feedback to make equipment purchase decisions for the next season, Sloat says.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
The most important thing to do post-season is wash everything thoroughly, Sloat says. The company has a dedicated crew to wash equipment after every storm. At the end of the season, the crew uses a power washer to get rid of any salt residue to ensure that it doesn’t corrode surfaces over the summer. Mechanics inspect each element as it’s removed from the vehicles and a second wash is performed if necessary.
“Even the smallest amount of salt residue can turn new equipment to junk by the next fall,” Sloat says.
All plow end markers and flags are inspected and replaced as necessary. “It’s not crucial that it get done post-season but it’s a time-saver when we don’t’ have to do it when we’re getting ready in the fall,” Sloat says.
Everything is then stored in a hoop house on racks.
Clean and flush.
To keep control plug connections on plows from corroding, maintenance crews put dielectric grease in the plugs and then remove them. Crews also inspect all hydraulic hoses to ensure that there’s no moisture, which could move to the cylinders and pumps, which could cause problem the following season. Any hydraulic hoses that have been comprised are replaced before the vehicles are placed in storage.
Work that can wait.
Christy Webber waits until pre-season to inspect replacement parts to make sure there hasn’t been any corrosion. “If we put new parts on things before we put it in storage and there was some salt residue hanging around or if it turns out to be a particularly damp summer, those parts can actually be corroded by the time we take them out so that would be a waste of time and money having replaced those to early,” Sloat says.
The company also waits on checking safety measure since the same trucks that plow and salt during the winter are used for landscape work during the summer and get the usual wear and tear throughout the season. “We check that stuff routinely anyway, but that’s something we would check pre-snow season as opposed to post-snow season,” Sloat says.